La Lancha is a lodge of 10 rooms in the rainforest of Guatemala's Petén, set above Lake Petén Itzá and a short drive from Tikal, the great Maya city. It is one of Francis Ford Coppola's hideaways and keeps things deliberately simple: a rustic, low-impact place in the forest rather than a polished resort. The rooms open onto shared terraces, some of them with views of the lake. The restaurant cooks Guatemalan dishes alongside wood-fired pizzas, with wines from the Coppola vineyards. There is an outdoor pool, and the lakeshore is close at hand. Most guests come for Tikal, and the lodge arranges visits to the ruins and time in the surrounding rainforest, which holds the UNESCO-listed Maya sites at its heart. It makes a quiet, unpretentious base for a few nights in the Petén, between time in Belize and the rest of Guatemala.
- Rooms
- 10 rooms
Insider tip Ask for one of the rooms with a lake view when booking, as only some of the terraces face the water.
Why I choose it It is the most characterful base for Tikal, small and relaxed, and it links Belize and Guatemala neatly on a Maya journey.